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. 2023 Jul 10;14:1164137. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1164137

Table 2.

Characteristics of studies researching macrophage-targeting drugs for OA treatment.

First Author, Year Study Type Country Population Experimental environment Interference
Drugs targeting macrophage-derived inflammatory cytokines
IL-1 antagonist
Pelletier JP, 1997 54 Animal study Canada 17 dogs In vivo + in vitro Surgery induced knee OA + intra-articular injection of autologous cells transduced with the IL-1Ra gene
Caron JP, 1996 55 Animal study Canada 16 dogs In vivo Surgery induced knee OA + intra-articular injection of recombinant human IL-1Ra
Chevalier X, 2009 56 RCT USA 170 knee OA patients In vivo Anakinra (an IL-1Ra) intra-articular injection
Cohen SB, 2011 57 RCT USA 228 knee OA patients In vivo AMG 108 (a fully human monoclonal antibody to IL-1R) subcutaneously or intravenously injection
TNF blockade
Grunke M, 2006 58 Case report Germany a 68 year old male knee OA patient In vivo Adalimumab (human TNF antibody) subcutaneously injection
Magnano MD, 2007 59 Pilot trial USA 12 hands OA patients In vivo Adalimumab intra-articular injection
Fioravanti A, 2009 60 Pilot trial Italy 10 hands OA patients In vivo Infliximab (TNF-α antagonist) intra-articular injections
Chevalier X, 2015 61 RCT France 99 hands OA patients In vivo Adalimumab subcutaneous injections
Aitken D, 2018 62 RCT Australia 51 hands OA patients In vivo Adalimumab subcutaneous injections every other week
Drugs inducing M2 polarization
Dai M, 2018 63 Animal study China Rats In vivo + in vitro Surgery-induced knee OA+ SCII intra-articular injections
Shu CC, 2020 64 Animal study Australia Mice In vivo Surgery induced knee OA+ intra-articular injection of Hymovis (a hyaluronan hexadecylamide derivative)
Manferdini C, 2017 65 In vitro test Italy 12 human OA synovial tissues In vitro M1 macrophages from OA tissues were co-cultured with ASC
Cherian JJ, 2015 66 RCT USA 102 knee OA patients In vivo GEC-TGF-β1 intra-articular injection
Ha CW, 2015 67 RCT South Korea 27 knee OA patients In vivo GEC-TGF-β1 intra-articular injection (high dose)
Cho JJ, 2017 68 RCT South Korea 27 knee OA patients In vivo GEC-TGF-β1 intra-articular injection (high dose)
Cho J, 2016 69 RCT South Korea 156 knee OA patients In vivo Invossa™ intra-articular injection
Lee H; 2018 70 Animal study South Korea Rats In vivo Surgery-induced knee OA+ Invossa™ intra-articular injection
Drugs inhibiting M1 polarization
Wang H, 2021 71 Animal study China Mice In vivo Collagenase-induced OA+ Frugoside intra-articular injection
First Author, Year Drug Name Outcome Result Mechanism
Drugs targeting macrophage-derived inflammatory cytokines
IL-1 antagonist
Pelletier JP, 1997 54 Autologous cells transduced with the IL-1Ra gene Macroscopic and microscopic changes IL-1Ra suppressed early experimental osteoarthritis Block IL-1 receptor
Caron JP, 1996 55 Recombinant human IL-1Ra Macroscopic and microscopic changes; RNA expression IL-1Ra suppressed experimental osteoarthritis Block IL-1 receptor
Chevalier X, 2009 56 Anakinra WOMAC score; Adverse events Anakinra didn’t improve joint pain and function Block IL-1 receptor
Cohen SB, 2011 57 AMG 108 WOMAC score; Adverse events AMG 108 didn’t improve joint pain and function Block IL-1 receptor
TNF blockade
Grunke M, 2006 54 Adalimumab Self-reported joint function and pain; MRI Adalimumab improved joint function and pain Bind with TNF
Magnano MD, 2007 59 Adalimumab ACR response; Adverse events Adalimumab leaded to pain relief and radiographic alleviation Bind with TNF
Fioravanti A, 2009 60 Infliximab Radiographs changes; VAS pain score Infliximab leaded to pain relief and radiographic alleviation Bind with TNF
Chevalier X, 2015 61 Adalimumab Number of people with 50% of VAS improvement; Adalimumab didn’t improve joint pain and function Bind with TNF
Aitken D, 2018 62 Adalimumab VAS pain score; AUSCAN pain score; MRI Adalimumab didn’t improve joint pain and function Bind with TNF
Drugs inducing M2 polarization
Dai M, 2018 63 SCII Macroscopic and microscopic changes; RNA expression SCII significantly improved the structural integrity of the cartilage tissue in OA rats SCII increases M2-polariation of macrophages; SCII inhibites chondrocyte apoptosis
Shu CC, 2020 64 Hymovis Macroscopic and microscopic changes; RNA expression Hymovis reduces allodynia at an early but not late stage of OA Hymovis increased M2- macrophages.
Manferdini C, 2017 65 ASC Microscopic changes; RNA expression M1-like macrophage markers downregulated while M2-like macrophage markers upregulated when cultured with ASC ASC activates M2-macrophages while inhibits M1-macrophages
Cherian JJ, 2015 66 GEC-TGF-β1 IKDC score; VAS pain; Adverse events GEC-TGF-β1 patients had improved scores TGF-β induces osteogenesis and chondrogenesis; TGF-β increase M2 polarization
Ha CW, 2015 67 GEC-TGF-β1 IKDC score;
WOMAC score; VAS pain;
GEC-TGF-β1 patients had improved scores TGF-β induces osteogenesis and chondrogenesis; TGF-β increase M2 polarization
Cho JJ, 2017 68 GEC-TGF-β1 MRI GEC-TGF-β1 patients had improved MRI assessment parameters TGF-β induces osteogenesis and chondrogenesis; TGF-β increase M2 polarization
Cho J, 2016 69 Invossa™ IKDC score;
WOMAC score; VAS pain; KOOS score
Invossa™ patients had improved scores TGF-β induces osteogenesis and chondrogenesis; TGF-β increase M2 polarization
Lee H; 2018 70 Invossa™ Pain behavior;
Histological staining; RNA expression
Invossa™ rats showed pain relief, cartilage regeneration. It encouraged M2 polarization and inhibit M1 polarization TGF-β induces osteogenesis and chondrogenesis; TGF-β increase M2 polarization
Drugs inhibiting M1 polarization
Wang H, 2021 71 Frugoside Histological staining; RNA expression; Protein level; Frugoside attenuates synovial inflammation and delays the development of OA Frugoside inhibits macrophage M1 polarization

RCT, randomized control trial; OA, osteoarthrosis; IL-1Ra, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonis; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; ACR, American College of Rheumatology; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale; AUSCAN, Australian/Canadian Hand OA Index; SCII, squid type II collagen; ASC, adipose mesenchymal stromal cell; GEC-TGF-β1, genetically engineered chondrocytes virally transduced with TGF-β1; IKDC, International Knee Documentation Committee; KOOS, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score.